Joined: 27 Aug 2005 Posts: 178 Location: Oceanside, CA
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 6:53 am Post subject: Mike Bloomfield Influence
I've been a member for a few months now, but this is my first post. Just wanted to introduce myself as a former pro guitarist from Philadelphia, now living in Oceanside, CA, and provide some background. Though I'm aging rapidly.....I'm a huge Robben Ford fan.........one of the finest guitarists I've ever seen or heard. Luckily, I've seen him perform twice at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, CA. Like Robben, I began playing electric, blues guitar after seing Mike Bloomfield with the BBB at the Philadelphia Folk Festival in the fall of 1965. I also began with a Guild Starfire IV and played nothing but Les Pauls after seeing mIke for the first time and owned a total of 11 LPs during my professional years..........my first LP being a 1968 reissue. Years later, I bought a '58 LP Standard from Dickie Betts of the ABB. When I left the music business behind, I, sadly, sold off all of my guitars and pre-CBS Fender amps.....never to own another electric guitar until several motnhs ago........a Fender Affinity Squire Telecaster.....nice guitar for the money, but not a LP. But, I'm actually playing again. One of these days, I'd love to find another '68 reissue with P-90 pickups.......nostalgia, for sure. I hope I haven't bored you to tears, but wanted everyone to know how I feel about Robben's playing......just the very best, for sure. Thanks for having me aboard.
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 69 Location: San Jose, CA
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 8:57 am Post subject: Bloomfield
Welcome to the board!
I missed seeing the BBB but was fortunate to catch Bloomfield several times on his own and with Nick Gravenites in the early seventies. Along with RF, Bloomfield continues to influence my playing. When talking to younger players, I feel I never effectively communicate Bloomfield's impact and importance to pushing along the musical envelope. I love it when I've heard Robben (on his instructional videos) give Bloomfield credit for his influence. I love the Butterfield recordings but for me, the quintessential Bloomfield recording is Gravenites's "My Labors" (& More) reissued by Acadia. You can check out my review on the Amazon website
My review is on the second page of reviews titled, Finally, My Labors, February 21, 2002 Reviewer: A music fan. For some reason, they've taken down the sound samples but you can find them on allmusic.com
Joined: 27 Aug 2005 Posts: 178 Location: Oceanside, CA
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 6:50 pm Post subject: Mike Bloomfield
Thanks for the reply........I know exactly what you mean about explaining to young players the influence MB had on players of our generation. I, also, saw Mike with Al Kooper & the Electric Flag.......both concerts at Fillmore East. And, I was at the BBB concert at Fillmore East when Buzz Feiten took over the lead role....it was December 1968 and Butterfield opened the concert, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown was second, & Super Session closed the night with Mike & Al Kooper.
Like you, I learned every MB solo and my style definitely reflected his during all of my years playing. I didn't necessarily sound like Mike, but there were definite similiarites.
Recently, I found out that he was buried in Hillcrest Cemetery in L.A. and visited......just out of respect. I'm curious as to how he came to be buried there.....since he was from Chicago and died in San Francisco.
Anyway..........I'd say we both have excellent taste in blues guitarists........Mike & Robben. Stay well.
Joined: 19 Sep 2003 Posts: 646 Location: City of Trees, USA
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 8:55 pm Post subject:
sfhalo: Welcome! Interesting thoughts. I may have a few years on you. Lived in NorCal in junior high and high school, and was influenced by folks like Dick Dale, The Ventures, The Lively Ones, et al. In the wake of the early days of the British Invasion my bandmates and I had barely adapted to having to sing, when WHAM! Paul Butterfield arrived in San Francisco. That was our introduction to the electric blues of Chicago's South Side, and the influence has never stopped.
As with you, the guitar took a hiatus. In my case, for about 30 years. The guitar I miss is the Fender Mustang I bought in 1965, but I'm pretty sure it's the same one Liz Phair now has. At least I console myself by believing that every time I see her picture. One could have worse fantasies, I suppose.
Looking forward to more of your posts. _________________ - BlueRunner
Hillside Memorial Park
Culver City
Los Angeles County
California, USA
Plot: Courts of the Book Mausoleum. Sanctuary of Meditation Crypt 314 Third row from the bottom on the left
Joined: 27 Aug 2005 Posts: 178 Location: Oceanside, CA
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 6:12 am Post subject: Mike Bloomfield at Fillmore East
In the fall of 1968, I'd heard that Butterfield had hired a young, 17 year old guitarist to replace MB and found out that both would be playing on the same bill at Fillmore East.....how could I not go! Butterfield opened the show with Buzz facing the left-side of the stage. As the song (I don't remember which) progressed, Paul had a harp solo which lead into a guitar break. Feiten turned and faced the audience, walked to the front of the stage, & ripped an incredible solo. I happened to look to the right-side of the stage and saw Mike watching. I'm sure he loved it and I became a BF fan, as well, and loved the Full Moon recordings.
I don't have much of a recollection of Arthur Browns music that night........other than the theatrical makeup, which I wasn't into.
I wish I could remember more about the set that Mike & Al played, but I was so enthralled with seeing Mike play live again that it's all a blur. I do remember the Les Paul, however! I'm sure Mike would have loved the LPs that I eventually owned......all 1950s originals, except for my 68 reissue.
Two years later, I was living & playing in Philly and dating a girl I met on a train in NYC. She happened to work at Fillmore East and through her I had a backstage pass for my regular visits to see her. The first concert I was invited to was the New Years Eve show with Mountain & Mylon and I got to go to the party after the show......hard to imagine this was happening to a fledgling guitarist! We dated until the spring of 1971 and I was able to attend some memorable shows........one of the best (and last) being in March 1971 with Johnny Winter (Rick Derringer was the other guitarist), the Allman Bros., & the Elvin Bishop band.
Writing this reply is bringing back so many memories.....sorry if I'm rambling a bit.
I have a few photos from my past and I'll add a page to my website over the weekend so you can see a couple of the LPs I've owned over the years.
Thanks......I did give the wrong cemetery name for Mike's burial place....it is Hillside Memorial just off the 405 in L.A.....I'll post a few pics, as well, and let you know when they're viewable. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to bring back great memories.
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 7:38 am Post subject: Welcome to the board!
I'm new here myself.
I'm also a big fan of Bloomfield's playing. Loved the combination of Bloomfield on guitar and Nick Gravenites' vocals. their versions of "Sweet Little Angel" and "Feel So Bad" are awesome!
I haven't heard much of the Butterfield Blues Band, but maybe I should be checking them out.
Glad to hear you're back playing guitar again. I've played for about 37 years now ... never really took time off, but also never played to a truly Pro level. I have been in gigging bands since I was a teenager, but only as a side thing in addition to my day jobs.
I learned most of my guitar playing from listening to albums by T-Bone Walker, BB King, Hendrix, Leo Kottke, Albert King. I "discovered" Robben's work about 8 years ago. First CD I bought was "Handful Of Blues" and I was just blown away.
Hope you enjoy it here, and hope you enjoy your return to guitar playing! _________________ Doug "Deacon" Robertson
Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 173 Location: Santa Barbara
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 7:44 am Post subject:
I have to echo patocaster's praise of My Labors. Real solid collection there and I've always liked Nick G's vocals. 'Wintry Country Side' is a flat out avalanche of pleasure. Not all the MB collections out there are this consistantly good.
Also, I really got a kick out of MBs comments between songs on the Ford Bros. MB tribute cd. Sounds like a real character.
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 69 Location: San Jose, CA
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 9:04 am Post subject: BF & MB
At the library the other day, I checked out Stevie Wonder's CD, "Music of My Mind". Buzzy Feiten's contribution to "Superwoman" are still worth checking out.
It's great to hear about all those great concerts from back in the day. I saw a fair share myself. In 1973, at Winterland on two dates in February and December I saw Paul Butterfield's Better Days (w/Amos Garret) headline shows with the Elvin Bishop Group and Mike Bloomfield & Friends. Both shows ended with jam sessions. I made a note on the 2/24/73 show Boz Scaggs and Merle Saunders joined the jam. There is an import recording of the 2/23/73 show that I have not purchased. It's $40! Anybody heard it?
Joined: 29 Jan 2004 Posts: 1504 Location: Methuen, MA
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 11:03 am Post subject:
BlueRunner wrote:
The guitar I miss is the Fender Mustang I bought in 1965
Blue, in the mid-60s, on my walk home from grade school, I used to stop by the local music store and oogle the Mustangs hanging on display. It was my dream guitar, but the hundred-something bucks was way more than my parents could afford (I remember my Mom's weekly take home pay was around fifty bucks).
I've been eyeing the reissues, but $600+ is a bit steep... _________________ Soul on Eleven
Joined: 19 Sep 2003 Posts: 646 Location: City of Trees, USA
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 7:47 am Post subject:
Will love more posts about concerts of yore, 'tho perhaps some of the young folks on this board will wonder what the heck we're talking about.
My first exposure to the "San Francisco Sound" was unwitting. I went to the rec hall at UC Davis to hear Big Momma Thornton. For a backup band she brought along a bunch of young guys from the Bay Area, who called themselves the Worlocks. It may have been one of the last of the Dead's performances under that name, as it wasn't that long after that I was following them as headliners. Or, in many cases, only-liners. Two of my favorite Grateful Dead shows from that era: I was in college in the midwest and went to hear them in the gym at a Bible college. Half of the crowd was dressed much like the current TV and movie stereotype of "hippies," and in the other half the gentlemen wore dark suits, white shirts and very narrow black ties, and the ladies wore what looked like 1950's sock hop dresses. The other show was while I was on vacation, and they played a bowling alley in King's Beach, Lake Tahoe -- right in the bowling area, while league games were going on. Fabulous.
These days when I find myself thinking about how long ago all of that was, I frequently remember a show I went to at Fillmore West, probably around 1970. The two opening acts were billed as "two young folks from show business families back east, who are definitely on their way up." The performers were Bonnie Raitt and John Hammond, Jr. Raitt's Strat still had paint on it.
Of course, before we get too nostalgic, let's talk about the sound systems from back then. Or maybe not ... _________________ - BlueRunner
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 8:31 am Post subject: Re: BF & MB
patocaster wrote:
At the library the other day, I checked out Stevie Wonder's CD, "Music of My Mind". Buzzy Feiten's contribution to "Superwoman" are still worth checking out.
It's great to hear about all those great concerts from back in the day. I saw a fair share myself. In 1973, at Winterland on two dates in February and December I saw Paul Butterfield's Better Days (w/Amos Garret) headline shows with the Elvin Bishop Group and Mike Bloomfield & Friends. Both shows ended with jam sessions. I made a note on the 2/24/73 show Boz Scaggs and Merle Saunders joined the jam. There is an import recording of the 2/23/73 show that I have not purchased. It's $40! Anybody heard it?
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 908 Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 9:38 am Post subject:
All this discussion about Mike Bloomfield & the Paul Butterfield Band is great ! I wish I could've been around to see them perform.... Come'on BlueRunner, give the 'youngsters' more credit .
At least I can enjoy their recordings and read about their adventures .
If they (Mike & Paul) could only come back and see what a huge influence they had on the Blues
One of my favorite Blues Historians, Dick Waterman, credits Mike Bloomfield for convincing [music industry] people that black musicians making singles for small local labels were worthy of national fame. Some of the biggest names in Blues: BB King, Albert King, Freddie King, Magic Sam, Buddy Guy and Otis Rush, may not have achieved the recognition they have today if not for Mike Bloomfield.
Bloomfield was not only a great musician, he was the advocate that fostered change in the music industry. He stood up for the civil rights of black musicians. I wish the authors of Mike's bio "If You Love These Blues" could have given this idea greater focus. It was a missed opportunity to set history books straight.
The Rolling Stones and the British Invasion bands have gotten a lot of the credit for the rediscovery and popularity of the Blues, but it was Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, Nick Gravenites and Elvin Bishop that deserve the credit.
I've read articles that quote both Gravenites and Waterman saying that it was Mike Bloomfield who talked Bill Graham into hiring B.B. King, and that's what got B.B. off the chitlin' circuit. _________________ Travelling by train of thought
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 69 Location: San Jose, CA
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 9:42 am Post subject: Wow!
JPB'03 & Bluerunner:
Great posts! That article is so cool. I should just bite the bullet and buy the import CD. Maybe an Xmas gift for myself...
When I was 14 in May of 1967, my parents wouldn't let me go to a show in Santa Clara where my brother's band opened for the Grateful Dead. Here's a link where you can see this handbill where the headliner's name is misspelled.
http://www.deadlists.com/posters/1960s/19670520.html
All times are GMT - 8 Hours Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4Next
Page 1 of 4
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
sfhalo: Welcome! Interesting thoughts. I may have a few years on you. Lived in NorCal in junior high and high school, and was influenced by folks like Dick Dale, The Ventures, The Lively Ones, et al. In the wake of the early days of the British Invasion my bandmates and I had barely adapted to having to sing, when WHAM! Paul Butterfield arrived in San Francisco. That was our introduction to the electric blues of Chicago's South Side, and the influence has never stopped.
.
